Window cleaner



Get. 13, 1931. R. TRANE 21 WINDOW CLEANER Filled June 8, 1931 a 7 R TBANE- wuzuto'c Patented Oct. 13, 1331 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND TRANE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA wmnow Application filed. June 5,

My invention relates to devices for cleaning windows and the like, and it is the object thereof to provide a simple, inex ensive, compact and convenient device w ich ma be a used for both washing and drying win ows or other glass surfaces. A particular object of my invention is to provide a window cleaning device in which the handle and the holder which carries the washing and wiping eleto ments are connected pivotally to enab e the handle to be placed in operative-relation to either of said elements, and also to allow the use of the device in ositions at which a fixed handle would inter ere with its use. A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the handle and the head or holder for the washing and wiping elements may he placed in an allned relation, whereby to occupy a minimum storage space, and thus especially adapting the device to be carried as a motor-vehicle accessory/ A further object'of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive holding means for a pair of parallel, oppositely extending cleansing elements.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a transverse section at on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4. is a detail longitudinal section on the line 4:-4: of Fig.

1, and Fig. 5 is a detail section of a portion of the handle, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In carryin out no invention according to the illustrate embo iment thereof, 1 provide a rectangular strip 6 of orous absorbent material such as felt, whic forms the washing element of the device, and a rectangular strip 7 of resilient material such as soft rubber, which forms the wiping or dr ing element of the device, said washing an wiping elements p'rojectin from the opposite lon 'tudinal edges of a at rectangular holder. aid holder is formed by an oppositel disposed pair of metal plates having inwar ly'swaged intermediate abutting portions 8 secured together by suitable means such as the eyelets or hollow rivets 9. The opposite lon 'tudinal side ortions 10 of the holder-p ates are 50 space apart to receive the inner portions of the stri s 6 and 7 .are sliglli d CLEANER 1931. Serial no. 542,860.

and said side portions 10 tly bowe so as to be convergent toward t eir edges, whereby to clamp 11 on and securely etam the strips 6 and 7 Between them. At the center of the holder, intermediate the endsof the swaged portions 8 and spaced similarly to the ad oining parts of the side portions 10, are portions 11 which are perforate to receive the pin or rivet 12 b which the handle is pivotally connected wit the holder. The handle is formed by an integral strap or strip of metal, bent intermediate its ends to an approximate U-shape, the ends 13 straddling the holder and being pivotally connected th'erewith by the rivet 12. The sides 14 of the U-portion of the handle are swaged to a concavo-convexformation, as best shown in Fig. 5, whereby to stifien said portions and to provide a rounded grip for the hand of the user. The len h of the handle is slightly more than hal the length of the holder, whereby the holder may swing freely between the spaced sides of the handle, and the-latter may thus extend from either side of the holder, to present for use either of the strips 6 or 7 at the side opposite the handle.

Men the handle of the described device is swung to a position at which it is alined longitudinally with the head or holder, as indicated by the dotted lines a in Fig. l, the device will occupy a minimum of space, and may thus be conveniently carried, or stored in a limited space when not in use. In the normal use of the device, the handle is positioned substantially at right angles with the head or holder, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the absorbent strip 6 is presented for use in washin the surface to be cleansed. For the remova of loose dry material such as dust, the'strip or element 6 may be used dry, as a brush to dislodge such non-adherent material from the surface to be cleansed. For adherent materials, the porous and absorbent strip 6 ma be suitably moistened, and used to rub an loosen the material, after which the. holder may be reversed relative to the handle, and the rubber strip 7 used as a squeegee to wipe the moisture from the surface. For reaching into corners or around 7 holder-plates.

obstructions the hdle may he held in a diagonal re ation to the head or holder as suggested by the dotted lines 5 and c in li ig.

1, and when the handle is held in such a diagonal position, the pressure a plied thereto the hand is artly latera thereof instea of being prlncipally longitudinal as when the parts are in the normal right-angled relation.

It will be seen that by the pivotin oft the handle to the center of the holder, t e ressure ppon the working edges of the strips it or 7 will be uniform throughout the length thereof, and the rubbin or wi ing operations for cleansing the g as sur aces may be rapidly and efiectlvely performed, by reason of the entire is in fully utilize ow, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a holder comprising a symmetrical pair of oppositely dis osed rectangular plates havin the longitu inal side portions thereof space a art and bowed convergently toward their e ges, intermediate lonitudinal portions of said plates being swa ed inwardly to abuttin relatlon, means fixed y securing said inwar ly swaged portions together, and a substantially U-shaped handle straddling said holder and having its ends pivotally connected therewith at the center thereof, said handle being adapted to swing about the pivotal axis past the ends of the holder.

2. In a window cleaning device, a holder comprising a symmetrical pair of oppositely disposed rectangular plates having the longitudinal side portions thereof spaced apart and bowed conver ently toward their edges, intermediate longitudinal portions of said plates being swaged toward each other, strips of yielding material disposed between the convergentl bowed side portions and having working e ges projecting oppositely from the longitudinal edges of the holder-plates, means for securing in abutting relation the inwardly swaged intermediate longitudinal portions of the plates to clamp said strips between the convergently bowed'side portions, and a U-shaped handle straddling said holder-plates and having its ends pivotall connected therewith at the center thereo said handle being adapted to swing about the pivotal axis past the ends of the holder whereby to assume an desired'an lar relation to said working e ges in the p ane oi the haoun TRANE.

t eater nogth of the working edges be- 

